About Alcohol Forum

ALCOHOL FORUM

Who we are:

The Alcohol Forum is a registered charity that works to prevent and reduce alcohol related harms in communities. Based in the North West of Ireland and influencing across the island of Ireland the Alcohol Forum is a not for profit organisation that operates in conjunction with the Health, Justice, Education, Community and Business sectors.

The only Alcohol Charity in Ireland working at community level to reduce alcohol consumption levels through “the implementation of best practice/needs led/structured activity on community mobilisation and community action on alcohol”. We are instigators of action on alcohol for community, voluntary and statutory agencies working to tackle alcohol harms nationally.

What we do:

We strive through evidence based work, research and practice for excellence in reducing alcohol harms and alcohol consumption levels.

We promote the value of community action on alcohol as a means of better outcomes for the safety and well-being of our children, family and society.

Our purpose:

To ensure effective implementation of evidence-based action to prevent the health risks and socio economic problems often associated with harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption on the island of Ireland.

The North West Alcohol Forum (NWAF) was established in 2003 by the then CEO of the North Western Health Board Mr Pat Harvey following the publication of the first national Strategic Task Force on Alcohol report 2002. The NWAF recognised the importance of multi sectoral action and the pivotal role of local communities in developing mutually accepted comprehensive policies and programmes for the prevention and management of alcohol related harms. The NWAF has been involved in major landmark developments, including the report “A Portrait of our Drinking” (2004), the approval as a site for action on alcohol by the Minister of Health and Children in 2005 and the publication of the NWAF Alcohol Action Plan (2005-2010). The NWAF participated in the National Alcohol and Injuries Study in Accident and Emergency Departments (2005), produced “Straight Talk” a guide for parents on teenage drinking (2006) and established the “Teenage Kicks” alcohol awareness project in partnership with Donegal County Council.

In June 2006, the North West Alcohol Forum (NWAF) adopted its North West Alcohol Action Plan 2005-2010. It agreed that the establishment of a dedicated organisation charged with delivery of the Action Plan was the preferred method for driving and overseeing the implementation. It was mandated that the membership of the new company would be drawn from (but not exclusive to) the NWAF. The NWAF Ltd became a not for profit company in 2007 and has developed a community mobilisation approach with a mission of “Protecting all generations from alcohol related harms”. The NWAF Ltd aimed to ensure effective implementation of evidenced based action to prevent the health risks and socioeconomic problems often associated with harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption on the island of ireland. The NWAF Ltd and the Alcohol forum to this day recognises the importance of multi sectoral action and the pivotal role of local communities in developing mutually accepted comprehensive policies and programmes for the prevention and management of alcohol related harms.

The Alcohol Forum formerly the North West Alcohol Forum Ltd NWAF Ltd is a registered charity established in 2007 working to prevent alcohol related harms and reduce alcohol consumption in Ireland.Working across borders the Alcohol Forum is a nongovernmental organisation community mobilisation on alcohol initiative operating in cooperation with the Health, Justice, Education, Community and Business sectors in Ireland. The Alcohol Forum has an active commitment to raising awareness on reducing alcohol related harms through local and national community engagement. We believe that by promoting evidenced based measures that are proven to work in reducing alcohol consumption and harms we enhance and strengthen our communities’ ability to respond to alcohol issues.

PRINCIPLES OF OUR WORK

We believe that by promoting evidenced based measures that are proven to work in reducing alcohol consumption and harms we enhance and strengthen our communities’ ability to respond to alcohol issues.

We believe that raising awareness and responding to alcohol harms is everybody’s business.

We are committed to reducing alcohol consumption levels and related harms through local and national community action on alcohol.

We work to support public health policy on alcohol both locally and nationally.

We work with likeminded partners on an all island basis to reduce alcohol related harms.